The present invention relates to placement of sensors within a patient""s body, and in particular relates to facilitating repeated placement of a non-sterile sensor, such as an ultrasound transducer, precisely into a required location in a patient""s body in a minimally invasive and sterile manner.
It is frequently desirable to obtain information regarding the size, shape, and function of internal body organs by the use of ultrasound echo imaging. For example, it is desirable to evaluate the performance of a patient""s heart after cardiac surgery. In the time immediately after such surgery, patients frequently have significant cardiac functional problems, and visualization and examination of the heart by ultrasound echo imaging may be of critical value.
Devices for use in placing and holding sensor probes such as ultrasound sensors are disclosed, for example, in Lowe, et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,775,328 and 6,231,514.
In accordance with the present invention a probe-receiving device includes collapsible probe-receiving tube that is supported by an elongate support member that is attached to and extends along at least a portion of the probe-receiving tube. A proximal portion of the probe-receiving tube is available outside the patient""s body as an entrance through which to insert a non-sterile probe into the interior of the patient""s body. A distal portion of the elongate support member is able to be manually formed into and remain in a desired configuration, and thus may be useful to control the location of the probe enclosed within the probe-receiving tube attached to it.
In a probe-receiving device which is one embodiment of the invention the elongate support member is in the form of a chest drain tube placed within the thoracic cavity of a cardiac surgery patient prior to closing the patient""s chest, with the proximal portion of the device being located externally of the patient""s abdomen and the distal portion of the device extending through an opening in the abdominal wall and thence toward the patient""s heart, so that the probe-receiving tube is available in a desired position during the period following cardiac surgery when it is critical to evaluate the function of the heart.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention the elongate support member has the form of a drain tube having a thin wall containing an embedded supporting member. In one preferred embodiment of the invention such an embedded supporting member may be a wire in the form of a helical coil embedded in and extending along the drain tube wall to define and support its open tubular configuration.